Half Past Insanity
by louisiana-southern-belle
Summary: There have been strange deaths occuring every night, with the sadistic killer leaving behind much more than finger prints for the cops. Only one girl is brave enough to tryand break the insanity, but the price may be her own sanity as well..AU..RxR!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh

Anyway, this is my second story, and I warn you now, dear reader, the genre should be noticed now. This is a FREAKY kind of tale. Okay? Thank you very much. Enjoy.

_**Half Past Insanity**_

_By:_

_Lousiana-Southern-Belle_

_Chapter 1: The Reflection of the Mind_

Everyone has their own feelings and thoughts of the supernatural. Why do these so called spirits feel the need to call upon our souls in the darkest time of the night, when all heart beats can be counted, all life lies between the balance of life and death?

You know what I'm talking about.

When you hear that uncanny sound of restless and uneasiness surround your senses. You calm yourself, knowing it is just your mind. Perhaps you grasp and reach out for security in the night, knowing morning's light will come for you? That you are different than the rest of the poor victims of the night's cruel laugh? But who are we to judge? That we could ever control a soul whose sanity has become tainted, blood given to the demons of their mind, heart torn from abuse from such a concept as forgiveness. What to do when faced with this merciless creature? Our mind becomes clouded, and we no longer can breathe in the morning's sweet forgiveness, because some souls are better left to the night's torture, never to be found……

……………………………..

Tap, tap, tap

For the last twenty minutes, Sydney Hopper had heard that annoying noise. She sat in front of a glowing computer screen, typing furiously at the term paper due tomorrow. Books and articles were lying all around her chair, pages tired and crinkled from being used all day long.

Tap, Tap, tap

'Damn sink!' she cursed mentally. Her apartment was on campus with leaks everywhere from the years it's foundation had withstood. Sydney sighed, looking down at her ring finger, admiring the jeweled gold band.

Tap, Tap ,tap

'One more paragraph to go!' she cheered herself on. College life was so hectic, which was ironic since her paper was on stress and how it affects our brain stability.

Tap, Tap, Tap,

"Dammit!" she cursed at loud now, 'I guess I can take a break to check that out.'

She rose up from her chair, barely making it around the pile of paper surrounding her, and stretched. Hearing heavy pops or cracks from her back, she winced. She really needed to stop sitting so long.

Bare-footed and in jeans, loose t-shirt, and blonde hair tied back, she wasn't dressed to impress. She had been working for about five hours straight. Her major professor had looked through her research and made many corrections or suggestions to the paper. It was taking forever to pull it all together.

Walking through the small archway that led to her kitchen, she noticed the sink tap wasn't leaking at all. But her knife drawer was open.

Tap, Tap, tap

Sydney's face drained of all color.

'Calm down, you're going to be alright, count to ten.. .' she mentally coached herself. Closing the drawer and double checking the faucet, she moved to her main hallway.

But not before grabbing a knife with trembling fingers…..

…………………………

Anzu Mazaki was tired and lonely. She had spent the whole day in her apartment, working on her paper. She was in psychology second year.

Thinking about maybe going down to the bookstore or café for a coffee, she thought about inviting one of her fellow students and good friends, Sydney Hopper. Sydney was an exchange student from America, and a hard worker.

Thinking even more about it and how good of an outing it would be , she picked up her phone to dial the number. Her apartment was right across the street from Sydney's.

Anzu pushed back a stray piece of chestnut bang from her face, while waiting for her friend to answer……………….

………………………….

-

First door on the right, closet.

Grabbing the handle with a fierce girp, she swung the door open wide open, and found nothing.

Tap, Tap Tap, Tap.

'Four?'

Gripping the knife to her chest for security, she ventured forward once again.

Door on the left…

Her bedroom.

'Please, not in here..' she silently prayed, grabbing the handle, pushing against the wood,

'Rinnnnnnnnnng Rinnnnnnnng……

She screamed at the sound. Breathing heavily, Sydney raced back into the kitchen for the cordless phone.

"H-Hello?" she stammered out.

"Anzu, it is so good t-to hear f-from you." She was having trouble making out sentences clearly. Sydney didn't want to worry Anzu, she was a good friend. No sense in worrying her with her own reckless imagination.

Right?

"Yes, I would love to join you," she paused listening to the other end, "alright, but can you come by in ten minutes?" she eagerly asked. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was ten to twelve at night.

Midnight.

"Right, s-see you then." She hung up the phone all too quickly, having a chill run through her. Once again she was alone with a knife……..

………………………

Anzu hung up the phone, wondering what had gotten into her friend. She had seemed troubled about something, but what?

'Ten minutes, huh?' Anzu glanced at her clock. 'Well, I guess we'll be going to an all night café…'

She was stilled troubled with the conversation. Sydney always seemed so calm, and head strong. Maybe Anzu would show up a bit earlier than what was arranged…..

…………………

Sydney let out a huge breath of relief when she realized that her room was empty, except for what belonged there. No unfriendly sights or anything…..

Tap, Tap, Tap

'Three?'

She shut the door, and stepped forward,

Tap,

Another step,

Tap,

Another,

Tap

Although something inside her was screaming profanities at going forward, she couldn't stop.

Step,

Tap.

The noise greeted her with eeriness, daring her to try and win the game it had begun.

She found herself face to face with her bathroom door. The usual white door had a scratch deeply embedded into it from the top running all the way down to the floor.

At the foot of the door, there was a note like what you would send with a bouquet of roses, neatly folded.

With her name on it.

Her mind was swimming with ideas, or excuses. Maybe it was a trick, or small prank by one of the other students. Maybe it was something she dropped,

Maybe she wasn't meant to know.

Upon opening the note, she found to be completely empty, blank, untainted.

'What is going on?'

_Scratch, scratch, scratch._

Scared out of her wits now, she watched in horror as she saw her hand reach up, and open the door, stepping inside.

Looking around,

Heart beating wildly,

Following with her eyes a trail of foot prints that were not her own to the sink.

She stopped in front of the sink.

So scared she was crying,

Looking in the mirror.

Fur brushed her leg.

………………………….

Anzu gathered her textbooks and purse making sure everything was in place before locking her door.

'I'm a bit early, but it won't matter.'

She looked both ways before crossing the street bathed in only the lights from the street lamps.

………………………..

'Oh my God, it was just my cat.'

She gave a heavy sigh.

"You scared me for a second there, sweetie!" Sydney almost started crying from relief as she bent down and stroked the cat between the ears.

The clock in her house, in the town, and every dark corner rang out….

Midnight.

As she was bent over, she never saw the shadow that slipped in front of her, never saw the gleam of insanity…..

But she felt it.

Tap, _Scratch, crrraaaccckkkk…_

She shot up from her kneeling position,

Looked in the mirror,

And screamed.

…………………………

Anzu got a sudden chill as she neared the second floor of the building. As though there was something pulling at her every thread of clothing she had on, whispering sweet nothings in her ear….

She swore she heard a song, a melody, just dancing through her senses.

_Once at twelve, we cast our spells_

_At half past, we smash the glass…._

Shivering and pulling her coat tighter, she continued her ascension.

Up.

…………………

A figure cloaked in shadow reached around the limp body and picked up the note with _her_ name on it. What a prize she was…

With crimson dripping from its fingers, smeared a red line through _her _name and tainted the once crisp white paper.

The Clock struck half past twelve, and the figure receded back into the depths of the night.

To sing their songs of sweet nothings to all those who prayed not to hear insanity's reflection deep within their soul.

…….--

Well that was chapter 1. Do you like, or not?

Review for a plushie of your choice!

2 reviews would help out….

Love,

l-s-b


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own a thing.

Author's Notes: Yes, it has been a while, eh? I am very sorry that this has not been updated but as always my life got hectic and so on and so forth. I wasn't too sure about my first chapter/prologue, but your feedback helped greatly. I really hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Half Past Insanity**

By:

Louisiana-Southern-Belle

Chapter 2: _The Unexplained_

………………………………

Did you know how to see?

Darkness is always more pleasant

When we strive to please

_You _

………………………………

A murder, a gruesome and disturbing scene. That was what he was staring at. Detective Moto Atem stared long and hard at the manila folder that threatened to haunt him forever with its' contents. Why was he always assigned the dirty ones? Seriously, a note, supposed scratching noises, a phone call and knife found at the victim's side. Wasn't this a detective's dream murder? All the evidence pointed to a stalker, or break in. Oh, but no, why would life be easy for him?

The thing about this murder was foggy. No one saw the victim, a college student and American native, leave her apartment on campus. So it now seemed the murderer had been in the building with her the whole time. Yet not one thing was missing in the rooms. And from looking through the girl's information she had a lot of valuables that would catch a thief's eye.

Now what puzzled Atem the most was the way she was murdered. He scanned the coroner's report once more and glued his eyes to the picture to prove the word's point. Which was she was indeed massacred. Her eyes had been gauged out by multiple strikes, but not with a knife or blunt object, but a needle. How did they know it was done by needled? The sick psychopath had been kind that after removing the entire eyes in tact stuck the needles through them and set them aside on a dish from the girls' cupboard. Right through the iris'.

That sick, sick bastard. The picture of the act resembled olives with a toothpick in them. Like at a cocktail party.

He then remembered his lunch, and had to swallow _hard_ to keep it down.

Then he saw the stab wounds in her chest and the huge letter 'X' made deep into her adomen. Her mouth lay open, but with no tongue attached.

Atem ran a hand through his bright bangs to his purple hair and lightening bolt like stripes running horizontally through it. He had always been teased about the look of the hair on his head, but it never bothered him much, because he got it from his father, and proudly sported it ever since he passed away.

His father was a good man and great detective as well. True, he always thought his love of the job would never pass on to Atem, but apparently he was mistaken.

What the hell was the murderer's problem? What were they now? A tailor, seamstress, or little old lady with a knack for stitching? Oh, wasn't that just grand. The press was going to have a field day. Not that weren't already; it was all over the news. Television reports and newspapers printed big and bold words of the crime, but none had any pictures yet released to them by his office. And of course they came up with the most ridiculous stories of what had transpired, but none had any substantial evidence to prove any theory or opinion.

And that wasn't even the best part, because someone had to call her family back in America to tell them the news of their daughters end. They had not been informed yet, at least not yet to Atem's knowledge.

A knock threw him out of his concentration.

He let out a long breath and set the folder back down and got another good look at the report before closing it up. "Come in."

The oak door cracked for a second revealing a voice that was obviously talking to another officer in the hallway.

"Look, I'm gonna' get him now. Yeah, that's right, same case."

He heard a pause and another muffled reply with a chuckle.

"Yeah, and maybe if you pulled the badge that's shoved up your ass out, you could walk without being an asshole."

Then there was a huge roar of laughter from a male before the door opened fully and revealed the back of a white head.

The officer turned fully and shut the door in a huff, causing the blinds on the door to rattle.

"I hate that bastard."

Piercing cinnamon eyes narrowed more than usual and his posture screamed annoyance and attitude.

"So we all do it seems."

Was Atem's cool remark as he brought his crimson orbs back down to fill another report for the press conference soon.

He heard the shuffle of polished shoes and the screech of the wooden chair in front of his desk being moved as the guest sat abruptly in the padded seat.

"Ya' think so."

He lifted his head back to see a smirk tug at his friend's mouth.

"Ya, I do, Bakura."

Ryou Bakura had been Atem's partner for about five years now. They had been through a lot now that he thought about it. He was a good guy even though he scared most of their colleagues and pissed off their captain on more than one occasion, he was good at what he did. Bakura was never a talker, but he when he did it was either important or sarcastic. But damn, was he entertaining to have around, especially when he and another fellow detective known as Marik got in verbal spares.

Bakura had helped him with some personal problems as well, especially during his divorce. Now that had been a living hell. And of course he had been his backup on too many cases to count, whether life threatening or not.

"Huh, as long as we're on the same page here."

Bakura's perfectly angled features put on a rather nasty smirk.

"Do you think he's still fucking our captain?"

Atem's eyes snapped to his for a second before retreating back to his penmanship.

"Isn't she dating Katsuya now?"

"Like that ever stopped the horny bastard anyway."

"Hmm."

Atem finished the report with the scrawl of his name.

"So who are we meeting in a minute?"

Bakura's smirk disappeared and was once again it was all business for him. He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

"You read the report, right."

Atem's eyes glanced at the nightmarish folder, and the image of the disfigured girl flashed in his mind.

"Yes."

"Some sick shit. Did you see that the friend found her about five minutes after it happened?"

"No, we're they close?"

"Some what, they were close enough. Her name is Mazaki Anzu. She had called her to ask her out for late night coffee, or something like that. When she walked over to pick her up, she found the body. Actually the super had to come open the door for her."

Atem thought about this. He had seen the door was opened by the superintendent of the building and a friend had come in, but not about the call.

"And…"

"And our job stars again. She was brought in for questioning about half an hour ago. She's pretty shaken up. I would be too if I saw that shit everywhere."

Bakura stood up and straightened his tie before turning for the door.

Atem grabbed the folder before standing as well pulling on the back of his pressed slacks by the belt.

He let out a breath one final time and followed his partner out the door and back to the interrogation room.

He really did not want to handle a probably sobbing female right now. It made things difficult and awkward at times, but Bakura never had any problems with it. Lucky bastard he was.

…………………………

"I had known her for about a year. She was in my psychology class, she was very smart, you know. She would never let just anyone into her apartment I c-can promise you that."

"Of course, Miss Mazaki."

Bakura was sitting across the female in question with an expression of some what sympathy for her. At least as much sympathy as he was able.

Atem was leaning against the wall to the side of the black metal table in the middle of the room. The gray walls gave the room a grim feel, but rarely was there an occasion for a situation not to be.

Bakura leaned forward slightly.

"Can you tell us about the night you found Miss Hopper?"

Anzu smiled wistfully, seemingly reminiscing about her friend.

"Did you know, Detective Ryou, she was engaged? Nice guy."

His brow creased in slight confusion if she had heard him or not.

"Miss…"

"Oh, what happened? Alright I had been studying late that night; we had a big exam the next morning. I usually don't wait till that late but with the research needed and all, I had to. I figured I couldn't read another word, so I thought calling a friend for a coffee would help us both."

"And that's when you call Miss Hopper?" Atem spoke looking intensely at the unusually calm Miss Anzu.

She looked toward him a bit startled; she had forgotten he was in here.

"Yes, that's right."

"And what time was this, you remember?"

Bakura asked just as intensely.

"When I called it was about a quarter till, about eleven forty-five I'm pretty sure."

"How did the conversation go? Did she sound startled, or upset?" Bakura questioned again.

The girl with clear blue orbs and shiny brown hair closed her eyes and took a shaky but calming breath.

She opened her calming blue ocean like eyes again to continue.

"Yes, I remember that. She sounded startled, or possibly out of breath, like she had been frightened or something. I asked what was wrong a-and…" she started to lose her control that had been holding her together.

Atem closed his fiery eyes briefly, he was wondering when she would break from the emotion.

Bakura voiced the same line they gave all upset witnesses.

"It's alright, Miss Mazaki. Please take your time, we understand."

And it wasn't a complete lie, they had seen the good and bad of all cases, and they knew it was difficult to try and answer the questions without losing it.

She calmed slightly and continued on.

"She had said it was n-nothing. I didn't believe her completely. I asked about going to the café, she agreed and said she would l-love to. I told her I would walk over to g-get her. She had sounded calmer by then, y-ya know. I didn't truly think she was okay, so I went a little early over there, I got there a few minutes after midnight."

That sparked Atem's interest. The murder took place at midnight as the coroner reported, and if that was true, then how did the bastard destroy the girl's body and get rid of the evidence so quickly without Miss Mazaki's notice?

"Did you hear anything unusual, a struggle, or crash of any sort?" Atem asked while walking to sit in the chair beside his fellow detective. He saw the look on Bakura's face held the same thought running across it.

Anzu thought hard about it. She had got there and remembered feeling uneasy, something not right about the place.

"I didn't hear anything at all, and that's what sacred me. No TV., radio, nothing. It was deathly…"

She couldn't continue. Her hand flew to her mouth realizing her words and the situation hurt her more than she could imagine.

"It's alright. And that's when you went to get assistance?" Atem calmly asked.

"Y-yes, that's right."

Wait, she remembered those voices…

"Alright Miss Mazaki, I think we can let you go-"

"Wait; there was some…thing there. It sounds weird, I know, but I promise you that I heard something, something whispering to me when I got to her door."

The two detectives exchanged glances before looking back at the troubled woman. Her head was lowered slightly and her hands was trembling faintly.

"It was the oddest feeling, like something just wasn't right, or I couldn't stop whatever, whatever…they were." She snapped her now stormy blue eyes at the two men.

"Do you think I'm crazy now, detectives?"

Bakura couldn't believe this one. He had heard a lot of weird stories, the supernatural spirits, and blah blah blah. It was all the same.

Atem stared at her hard. What was she talking about? Voices?

"Of course not, Miss Mazaki." Bakura flippantly stated while rising out of his chair to make his way to the door.

Atem sent Bakura a look of scrutiny. He knew she was their only witness, and if they lost her, they were in some deep shit.

Bakura simply shrugged his shoulders from behind the woman's head.

"We don't think that, Miss. But you are very tired; I'm sure, and very troubled at this tragic affair. Some rest would help ne?"

She looked at him with wide eyes as he also rose walking around the table to take her hand and help her stand. She stood a little off balance for a second before turning to follow the detective with the white hair.

"Of course." She clipped out stiffly. So they thought she was crazy now? Wonderful. But she could really careless about what they thought, she knew what happened to her friend was awful, terrible and unimaginable. And it was not natural, not a human being who committed the atrocious act.

Atem followed her out the door and showed her out the rest of the way to the elevator where he told her they would be in contact if they needed her help any more.

"I hope I helped." Her voice strained with grief.

"You helped us greatly, thank you for coming in. Here's our office number, please call if you remember anything more."

He watched as the doors gave a closed with a whoosh and a final ding told him she was gone for now. But she would be back that was for sure. He stood in front of the steel doors of the elevator and her voice came back to him…

"_It was the oddest feeling, like something just wasn't right, or I couldn't stop whatever, whatever…they were."_

The image of the mangled body and tortured face flashed through his mind once again. Atem closed his eyes trying to permanently erase the photo. But some things just don't let your subconscious go too easily.

…………………………….

He made his way back to the I-room, as they called it. Where he knew Bakura would be talking to their captain about the questioning of young Miss Mazaki, and he wasn't incorrect.

He entered the small room that had the two way window into the I-room and heard his captain's voice.

"Look, about the voices crap, what the hell was that about? Does she have some kind of disease?"

"Gee, I don't know capn' why don't we ask our only witness if she's a skitz or not?"

Of course Bakura just had to mouth off to Mai.

"Shut the hell up, Ryou. Alright Moto, you and the dick over here are to go to the victim's fiancé and see what he thinks of the situation."

Atem glanced between his partner's smirking face and his captain's confident but slightly pissed one. He knew most people would be a bit more angered at Bakura's sarcasm, but she had been around him long enough to know better. Not that she wasn't just as quick witted when she first came around, oh no. She gave Bakura a run for his money, which was probably why Atem didn't mind her too much.

"Alright we'll go tomorrow. Where does he work?"

"This ones in school as well, studying to be a, get this, surgeon." Bakura shoved his hand in his pockets to emphasize his distaste.

"As long as you report back as soon as possible I could care less what he does. I got Ishtar and Kaiba going over to the lab tomorrow to get the doctor's report on the autopsy."

Bakura gave a snort at the mention of his most hated enemy.

"You had better hope the doc's male, not female. Or else you may not be getting that report back so soon."

Atem smirked. That was sadly true, Marik was a womanizer and not afraid to admit it.

Mai gave a short laugh at that. "I'd like to see that happen. Like I said, I sent both him and the prick, Kaiba. Kaiba doesn't mess around, so I don't think I have to worry."

"Touché, my dear captain."

"Shut the hell up."

…………………………………

Bakura sat in Atem's office once again.

"So what did you think about the Miss Mazaki?" Atem asked.

"Besides her tight ass and killer eyes? Simple, she's a bit off. Did you hear the shit she was spouting about voices?"

"Yeah, but she didn't seem the type to be irrational." Atem smoothly brought back to him.

"They all seem rational, logical, yadda, yadda, I don't give a fuck. But she is the only one to give us a time and possible suspects." He ended his statement with a careless shrug and leaned back into the chair.

Atem stared at his desk with mild interest, his mind far off.

"But…what the sicko did to the victim…it was pretty sadistic. I'll admit to that."

Fire met deep cinnamon in agreement; this was a case that would be both physically and mentally, challenging.

And disturbing …to say the least.

A cell phone's electronic melody sounded off into the room.

Atem pulled off his phone from his hip holder.

"Hello, this is Moto speaking." Bakura merely lifted a brow at the caller.

Atem's face contorted into confusion then back to a solemn and depressed look.

"Alright, we'll be right there."

"And that was about…"

"Gets your ass moving, we got another one."

Bakura's eyes widened slightly. "Already? In the last twenty four hours?"

"Dunno Yamochi called me."

They were already heading out the door.

"This is bad. Do you remember the 'Painter of Death' case?" Bakura asked quickly pulling on his jacket.

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that just yet."

…………………………………………………..

"_It was the oddest feeling, like something just wasn't right, or I couldn't stop whatever, whatever…they were."_

………………………………………………….

Well now how was that? Next chapter will focus on the fiancé and lab report. And you get to meet the talked about Mairk! Now when I mention the detectives as 'partners' that DOES not and I repeat does NOT mean they are 'lovers'. If you watch law and order shows or CSI or whatever, you would know they refer to one another as such. Sorry, but this is not a yaoi story. There may be one pairing or such, but not with the main characters, they remain straight. Also you will meet a few more female members of the story next chapter. Also, is there another victim, already out there?

I hope you enjoyed this one!

Please tell me through a review though, which brings me to this:

**Review Reponses** will be answered through my profile. I have heard rumors you will be kicked off by putting review responses in your chapters. I don't know why but I rather not lose my account. So look for those in my profile page, please.

Love,

l-s-b


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